July 14

The early morning sky is mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid 60’s as I, once again, enter a conservation easement of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy for my annual inspection of this 38 -acre Gratiot County property.  Right away, I spot the head of a Whitetail buck sticking out of tall grasses, displaying his velvet-covered antlers. Most bucks will complete their antler growth in the middle of August. In late August through mid-September, the velvet dries up and they rub it off.  Just ahead, I notice a Milkweed beetle resting on a Milkweed leaf. Like Monarch butterflies, these beetles accumulate cardenolides from Milkweed, making them unpalatable to predators, a defense they advertise with their striking orange and black markings.  Continuing along, I watch a Bumblebee and a small Sweat Bee feed on small yellow blossoms of Common Mullein. Sweat bees are important pollinators for many wildflowers. As their common name suggests, these bees are attracted to the salt found in human perspiration. Off in a distant field, I look at and listen to a breeding pair of Sandhill Cranes. These lovely birds mate for life - which can mean two decades or more - and stay with their mates year-round. Looping back, I find some Hairy Vetch plants with their lovely purple blossoms. This plant is a highly effective nitrogen fixer, extracting nitrogen from the atmosphere and making it available to plants in the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Pausing at one of several ponds, I first listen to a few Green Frogs and then spot a needle-like Bluet Damselfly perched above the water on blade of grass. Nearby, I see a Cabbage-white Butterfly feeding on Catnip blossoms. This butterfly is a common species whose caterpillars, called cabbageworms (stock photo) are considered a significant pest of crops like cabbage, kale, and broccoli. On my way back to the car, I pass a large patch of Chamomile blossoms. This plant has been used for centuries for its medicinal effects. It is commonly consumed as an herbal tea and is also used in cosmetics and aromatherapy. Nearing the car, I spot a Japanese Beetle resting on a False Sunflower blossom. This native Japanese insect, first discovered in the US in 1916, is a significant pest of landscape trees and shrubs as well as vegetable and fruit crops.  

Beauty of summer

settles over the water

where a cardinal flower

flaunts its scarlet pedals, 

a wood duck drake parades

its coat of many colors.

In the murky depths

beauty awaits its cue.

An unsightly creature

heeds its inner call to

ascend and transform. 

Behold! Dragonfly, 

adorned with translucent

wings and body of 

iridescent green.

 

D. DeGraaf

The early morning temperatures are in the upper 60’s with a refreshing breeze at my back as I hike on a mowed trail toward the rising sun while being entertained by a Song Sparrow. Today, as a volunteer for the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, I’m evaluating one of their 38 conservation easements, a 24-acre privately-owned parcel east of Alma. This property was purchased years ago with government funds with the understanding that the landowner would maintain it as wildlife habitat. My job is to determine if there’s compliance and report the results to the Conservancy. Up ahead, I watch a butterfly flutter by and land on the grassy ground. Upon a closer look, I see it’s a 1-inch, Common Wood-Nymph displaying an eyespot on one of its wings. These eyespots are thought to play a role in predator defense, potentially confusing or deterring birds and other predators. Nearby, I spot a resting 1-inch, White Slant-line Moth. Their caterpillars are twig mimics. Their brown, narrow bodies hold on to a branch at one end and stretch away from the branch to hide among the twigs and leaves (stock photo). On another blade of grass, I notice a ½-inch, strange-looking collection of small twigs, containing a Bagworm. In the life cycle of certain moths, the caterpillar spins a cocoon-like bag on which pieces of leaves and other plant parts are attached. The bag acts as a portable shelter and camouflage, shielding the caterpillar from predators and harsh weather conditions. Further along, I come upon a male 12-spotted Skimmer Dragonfly. Both male and female have 12 dark brown wing spots while the male has 8 additional white wing spots. Looking around, I spot a Widow Skimmer Dragonfly. This dragonfly got the “widow” name because, unlike most other dragonfly species where the male stays near the female after she lays her eggs, the male in this pair leaves her after the eggs have been laid.  As with other dragonflies, eggs are laid in ponds where they hatch. The nymphs (stock photo) live in the water, molting and growing until they are ready to emerge from the water.  Coming upon one-of-many Cottonwood trees, I spot a leaf displaying an abnormal, swollen growth called a Petiole Gall. In the spring, aphids hatch from eggs laid on the Cottonwood tree and begin feeding on the petioles of newly emerging leaves. This feeding stimulates the plant to produce a growth around the aphids. Theses galls provide a safe environment for the aphids to grow and reproduce. While the galls may be noticeable, they generally do not harm to the tree. 

Nature in rhythm

July days ahead

Summer sky blue

Raspberries red

Creatures are born

Consume and grow

Vultures fly high

Frogs lie low

Pond water wanes

Below the brim

Neath the surface

Mudminnows swim

 

D. DeGraaf